Combined tension and stopping device for sewing-machines.



1,. W. ROBERTS, A. P. BREWSTER & B. BRYSON. COMBINED TENSION AND STOPPING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAY'27, 1913.

1,164,752. v Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

INVE% 77 I SW2W' w 74 I I KW W I I M WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, Wm B. C.

J'QHN WILLIAM aonna'rs, anrnna' PERCY snnwsrnn, ,ennorn enson, or

' PASSAIC, NEW annsny.

cor/m ne]; Tension AND srorrrne nnvrcn FOR snvr ne-mncmnns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed May 27, 1913 Serial No. .770,162.

Toall whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, JoHn W. Ronnn'rs and An'rrrun P. BREWSTER, citizens of the United States,- and BOYD BRYSON, subject of the King ofEngland, respectively, residing at Passaic, in the county of Passaic, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Tension and Stopping Devices for Sewing- Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be; a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others, skilled in the art to which it apperta-ins, to 'makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved means for stopping sewing-machines when tension on the goods of the machine is relaxedfand is of "the class of machine illustrated inthe patent to Roberts and Brewster, issued October 29, 1912, No. 1,042,602,

' and the patents to Roberts, Brewster and Bryson, issued Feb. 18, 1913, No. 1,053,647, this present invention, however, being an improvement over the prior ones inasmuch as the tripping means is directly connected to. the goods under tension, and the same mechanism operates to give the tension to thegoods and when said tension is'relaxed, operates -to trip a clutch or similar mechanism to disconnect the machine from its source of power.

The device is particularly adapted for sewing-machines when used in series or in numbers in factories where a single operator takes care of a number of machines, in which case it isnecessary to have the machine stopped automatically when the goods that is being fed to the machine is exhausted. When the end of the goods arrives at or near the tensioning means, the tensioning means isreleased and operates a trip which in turn releases a clutch, this stopping the machine by disconnecting it and the operator willq'uickly note that the machine is stopped and renew the supply of goods fed to the machine. The clutch mechanism is normally operated. to release the machine automatically from its source of power and is locked in position by a suitable locking means when it is in position to connect the machine with its source of power, and a trip, which releases the locking means, is held inoperative by. its resting at one end on the goods, thus acting both as a tension means and a trip. The tension is supplied by suitable weight, or in some cases a different mechanism might be employed for supplying the meansof operation of the device for both the tensioning and the tripping. It will be understood,'h owever, that the operating means are the same for both ends of the device so as to supply both the tension and the tripping. Thetripping means is also designed to hold the locking member of the clutch in its tripped or released position so that the parts are held in their unlocked positions and there is; no opportunity for accidental form is embodied in the acoornpallyl il drawing, in whichf Figure 1 is a view of the clutch and the tensioning and tripping means, the machine being shown in dotted outline. Fig. 2 is a top view with the end of the tripping lever and an end of the locking member of the clutch.

In the drawing we have not. gone into 1. tail as far as the sewing mechanism of the sewing-machine is concerned, simply illus: trating in dotted outline the frame 10 mounted on a base 11, the base. being in the form of a table, and these tables in, practice are arrangedvvith a slight incline, although they may be otherwise disposed if desired. A tripping shaft 12'is operated by means of a pulley 13 when the clutch 14: is operative and is adapted to be released therefrom when the clutch is inoperative, the machine.

swings the pin 19 in until the end 23 of the,

setting-rod sets in a groove 24 in the locking arm 25. The locking arm, either by spring action or by gravity, is normally pressed against the end 23 of the setting-arm 20, and the parts as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 are locked so that the clutch is operative and is held .so that it can not be swung by the spring 26 fastened to the clutch and to a suitable point on the frame, this releasing means having a normal tendency to swing the clutch to a position where it disconnects orpermits the disconnection of the machine ,u

from its source of power. The locking arm projects beyond the setting-rod'QO and is provided wlth a suitable projection 27, usually in the shape of a pin which projects from the locking armand is in the path of the tripping means to be hereinafter dethat is, when one is inoperative, the other one 1s operative.

The goods 28 in passing to the machine is passed over any suitable set of guides or,

bars, butin the drawing we show but one bar 29 over which the goods is passed on its I way to the sewing mechanism (not shown). Resting on the goods 28 to give it a tension is the end 30 of a stem 31 the stembeing adjustable by means of the collar 32 on a bar'33. "The bar33 is arranged in a block 34 which swings ona pin 35,which pin is in a fixed support which is not shown, but which may be any part of the structure on which the machine is mounted. The bar 33 projects beyond the block 34: andis provided' with a suitable weight 36 which is kept frompulling the block 34: downward to rotate the pin 35 to which it is fastened by reason of the end 30 ofthe stem 31 be ing heldupby the goods, and thusin itself supplying a tension to the goods. .Fastened I to the pin 35'is a'suitable lever or arm 37, the lever having an inclined portion 1 38 thereon, the face of which, when it swings, being adapted to engage the pin or projection 27, since the pin is arranged to be in the path of the'inclined end of the tripping lever. The operating portion at the endof the tripping lever is preferably recessed at its end as at 39, this being usually accomplished by simply bending over the end 40 to. form a hook. It will be evident that when tension on the goods is relaxed by reason of the end of the goods having reached or being in the act of approaching the end 30 of the stem 31, the weight 36 be comes inoperative and the bar 33 swings downward and at the same time swlngs the tripping lever. The inclined face 41 of the (-epies'of this patent may he '0 btai118d f01 tripping lever engages the pin 27 and raises it. .This lifting of, the pin of course carries the locking" arm 25 with'it 'and'as soon as the locking arm is raised the notch 24 releases the end 23 of the setting-rod. 20 and the spring 26 pullsthe clutch-armso that the clutch isreleased and the machine is stopped. The movement of the weight and of the tensioning' and tripping means is limited by reason of the recess 9 acting as a stop for the pin 27 and being stopped in turn thereby so that the locking armis held in; its raised position whereby accidental and the swing of the bar 33 and its attachdropping of the locking arm is impossible,

ment is also limited.

This" invention makes it necessary to place the goods "under tension before themachine is started, asthe placing'of the tension device on thegoods mustprecede the'securing of the clutch "lockingarm, since until this tension is applied by raising the bar 33, the

raised position. This prevents a thoughttrip Will continue to hold the locking arm in" less operator [from starting the machine 1 without placing the goods under. tension,

and therefore the turning out. of seconds i is minimized, since the tension must be established before the locking arm of the clutch is released. I f '1 It will be understood that details of construction may be changed inthis invention without departing from the scope of the claims,'and we reserve to ourselves the right to make such minor changes as -may be necessary. 7

Having thus what we claim is A sewing-machine towhich goods arefed under a tension, a clutch for connecting and. dlsconnectlng the machlne from its source.

ofpower, a swinging lever with an inclined portion, a movable locking means for holding the clutch operative, a projection on the locking means and in the path of theinclined portion when the lever swings, a swlnging barconnected to the lever, means for suspending the barfrom. the goods to give the goods a tension-and to-support' the described our invention, I

bar-so as-to hold the lever in inoperative position, and a stop in the inclined portion to engage the projection. v I

In testimony, that we claim'the foregoing,

we have hereunto set our hands this 23rd day of May 1913.

' JOHN .WILLEAM'ROBERTS- BOYD BRYSON. Witnesses: 1 l

J. CARL WVARHnns'r, H JAMns FARRINGTQN.

Washington, D. C.

ARTHUR PERCY BREWSTER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner-of Patents, i 

